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Decision CRTC 2001-483
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Ottawa, 10 August 2001
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G and M Business News Holdings Limited on behalf of itself and G
and M Business News Limited, a general partnership
Across Canada 2001-0561-0
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24 July 2001 Public Hearing
National Capital Region
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Ownership Change for ROBTv
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1. |
The Commission approves the application by G and M
Business News Holdings Limited, on behalf of itself and G and M
Business News Limited, to acquire the 50% partnership interest in
Report on Business Television, a general partnership (ROBTv)
beneficially owned by Global Communications Limited and currently
under a trust arrangement with Mr. Albert Gnat, Q.C. as the trustee.
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2. |
G and M Business News Holdings Limited is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of G and M Business News Limited, which, in turn, is
owned 100% by Mr. Kenneth R. Thomson. G and M Business News
Limited holds the other 50% partnership interest in ROBTv. As a
result of this transaction, Mr. Thomson will acquire an indirect
100% interest in the new partnership. |
3. |
Upon surrender of the current licence, the Commission will issue
a new licence to G and M Business News Holdings Limited and G and M
Business News Limited, with a 50% partnership interest respectively,
to continue the operation of the specialty service undertaking known
as ROBTv. This new licence will be subject to the terms and
conditions set out in the Appendix to this decision, which are the
same as those in the current licence for ROBTv.
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4. |
The Commission encourages the licensee to consider employment
equity issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of
its management of human resources (PN 1992-59).
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Secretary General
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This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available
in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the
following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca
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Appendix to Decision CRTC 2001-483
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Terms of licence for the national English-language programming
undertaking (specialty television service) known as Report on
Business Television (ROBTv)
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Upon surrender of the current licence, the Commission will issue
a new licence to the partners of ROBTv, expiring 31 August 2003 (the
current expiry date).
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Conditions of licence
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The licence will be subject to the conditions set out below and
to any other condition specified in the licence to be issued.
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1. The licensee shall provide a national
English-language specialty service consisting of business and
financial news and information, and shall draw programs exclusively
from Categories 1 (News), 2(a) (Analysis and interpretation), 2(b)
(Long form documentary), 3 (Reporting and actualities), 5(b)
(Informal education/recreation and leisure), 12 (Interstitials), 13
(Public service announcements), and 14 (Infomercials, promotional
and corporate videos) as set out in item 6 of Schedule I of the Specialty
Services Regulations, 1990, and as defined in Public Notice CRTC
2000-92 as amended from time to time. |
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2. The licensee shall devote to the
distribution of Canadian programs not less than 75% of each
broadcast day and not less than 75% of the evening broadcast period. |
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3. In accordance with the Commission’s
position on Canadian programming expenditures as set out in Public
Notices CRTC 1992-28, 1993-93 and
1993-174: |
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a) In the broadcast year following the first year of operation,
and in each subsequent broadcast year, the licensee shall expend
on Canadian programs not less than 50% of the previous broadcast
year’s gross revenues derived from the operation of this
service.
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b) In the broadcast year following the first year of operation,
and in each subsequent broadcast year, excluding the final year,
the licensee may expend an amount on Canadian programs that is up
to five percent (5%) less than the minimum required expenditure
for that year calculated in accordance with this condition; in
such case, the licensee shall expend in the next broadcast year of
the licence term, in addition to the minimum required expenditure
for that year, the full amount of the previous year’s
underexpenditure.
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c) In the broadcast year following the first year of operation,
and in each subsequent broadcast year where the licensee expends
an amount on Canadian programs that is greater than the minimum
required expenditure for that year calculated in accordance with
this condition, the licensee may deduct:
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(i) from the minimum required expenditure for the next
broadcast year of the licence term, an amount not exceeding the
amount of the previous broadcast year’s overexpenditure; and
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(ii) from the minimum required expenditure for any subsequent
broadcast year of the licence term, an amount not exceeding the
difference between the overexpenditure and any amount deducted
under (i) above.
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d) Notwithstanding the above, during the licence term, the
licensee shall expend on Canadian programs, at a minimum, the
total of the minimum required expenditures calculated in
accordance with the licensee’s condition of licence.
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4. a) Subject to subsection (b), the licensee shall not
distribute more than twelve (12) minutes of advertising material
during each clock hour.
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b) In addition to the twelve minutes of advertising material
referred to in subsection (a) the licensee may distribute during
each clock hour, a maximum of 30 seconds of additional
advertising material that consists of unpaid public service
announcements.
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c) The licensee shall not distribute any paid advertising
material other than national paid advertising.
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5. From the commencement of service, the
licensee shall charge each exhibitor of this service a maximum
wholesale rate of $0.25 per subscriber per month, where the service
is distributed as part of the basic service. |
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6. The licensee shall adhere to the
guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association
of Broadcasters’ (CAB’s) Sex role portrayal code for
television and radio programming, as amended from time to time
and approved by the Commission. |
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7. The licensee shall adhere to the
provisions of the CAB’s Broadcast code for advertising to
children, as amended from time to time and approved by the
Commission. |
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8. The licensee shall adhere to the
guidelines on the depiction of violence in television programming
set out in the CAB’s Voluntary code regarding violence in
television programming, as amended from time to time and
approved by the Commission. |
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For the purpose of these conditions of licence, the terms broadcast
day, broadcast year, evening broadcast period and clock
hour shall have the same meaning as those set out in the Television
Broadcasting Regulations, 1987; first year of operation shall
mean the first broadcast year in which the licensee is in operation
for a period exceeding 90 days, excluding any free trial period; and
paid national advertising shall mean advertising material as
defined in the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990 and that
is purchased at a national rate and receives national distribution
on the service.
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Date Modified: 2001-08-10 |